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Well we're off to a whirlwind start... What was it, three days ago? Mrs spots a rusty escort panelvan advertised on ebay at Harvey's Wrecker in Langwarren (about half hour from home). The listing started at a dollar and had a few bids bringing it up to $200. I've looked at esky vans for years as a yeah I wouldn't mind one of those one day.. Usually too expensive for what they are, this was just too cheap and tempting. OK it's rusty but I'd make my money back in a heartbeat if it was cactus by selling the front grill. I ummed and ahhed over it especially when it didn't climb in the last few hours. We talked it up and down and just decided it was too cheap to not try for it. A stupid low bid for a random number that I could manage (really can't afford it but after selling the spot welder this was kinda free money) and to our shock, it's ours!!! Gotta be the cheapest one around at $327 for an almost complete car. All that seems to be missing is the manual gearbox and tailshaft. BGDAV gave me a huge help by providing the trailer and second pair of hands to pick it up today. The worker said to me that it should have gone for much more but someone stuffed up with the price (assuming they forgot the reserve) and deal is done. They wanted 500 at least for it, I thought it would have been more than that at auction but there we go. A few photos at the yard.. Offload was complicated by no keys to unlock the steering so dolly wheels were involved and the winch to help out. This will be a slow project guys, so don't get too excited as I don't have any free time just yet. Only plan so far is to fix the shell and probably install an auto box, maybe update the engine in the process for daily use. I will use this in the Metalworking tutorials to teach how to do everything you need to know.

I've always gone to great lengths to obtain and use only OEM/name brand replacement fuses. (much to the amusement of others) Recently, I stumbled across a youtube clip, which clearly illustrates the reasons why. NEVER use cheap fuses... Some aftermarket offerings are so 'out of spec', that their TRUE rating is closer to x5 times higher. ie - marked as 10amp, but ACTUALLY rated at 40amps For those who value their vehicles, I'd strongly suggest to watch -

I've been thinking of whether to go 393 or 408 for my XE S-pak ute, saw on a cleveland facebook page a while ago that Competition Engines designed a "better" piston for the 408 stroker, JE pistons part No. 247063 -5cc F/T, 247056 -13cc dish Has shorter lower skirt for the poke out the bottom of the bore, top ring moved down as some have broken the top of piston where the valve relief is,

I'll say this once for everyone AUTOMATIC GEARBOX will be in ALL my cars. I'll clear this up as well.. I restore cars for customers, I don't actually care about future resale, originality or any of the history unless it pertains to someone trying to hide dodgy work that might kill me. I'll build my cars for me, to suit me and what I do with them. Having said that, I do everything as if it could be factory work or can be easily undone if the next owner wishes. That statement about engines and LPG is honestly a bit dopey.. What do you think 99% of ford sixes run on without faults? Generally speaking if it was made for unleaded, it won't have a problem running gas. (until the injection system dries out and pisses fuel everywhere when you try to use it after 3years of nothing) Your memory is a bit fuzzy.. Rovers are rated at 150 although they wouldn't actually achieve it mostly. My personal gripe with the engineering process is that NOBODY will give you an answer as to what the guy will charge to tick the damn boxes on the paperwork. What will it actually cost to get a v8 escort passed??? Nobody knows and if they do, they won't tell you.

If they use the same gearbox then that could be an easy upgrade if I stick with the 1.3 to start. Guys, my motto could probably be "I chase rust, not horsepower"... Maybe I should get that on a shirt?

I'd imagine Barra would be a head funk if you wanted it to be remotely legal. Realistically a well built pinto and a decent auto is the easiest and probably cheapest way to go. I've never known them to be remotely economical though, that big old weber loves a drink. Never driven one on gas. I went from a mk5 sport to a xb Fairmont 302 back many years and my fuel costs barely changed haha. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

While there is orange paint under the bonnet I'm 99% sure this was a white car and not a colour change. It's too consistent for a respray although it has had a blow over at some point because you can see acrylic primer peeking through the side panels.

All Cleveland stroker kits are rated at 4.030" bore 4"x4.040=410ci 4"x4.030"=408 4"x4.020"=406 as for 393 3.85"x4.040=395ci 3.85"x4.030"=393 3.85"x4.020"=391 383 is 3.75"x4.030" or 3.75"x4.040=385 3.75"x4.020"=380 377 is a 351c crank with a offset grind to SBC 2.1" journal at 3.7" on 4.030", but not sure who makes pistons for this anymore, used to be ACL. (351 windsors can be made 427ci with 400M crank offset ground) once thought of being unique with a 302 crank offset ground to 325ci. as i've got plenty of 302 cranks & local shop can offset grind cranks. Most stroker clevelands tend to be 393, Given you've got a freshly resleved block, you can get std/4.000" size pistons for a 3.85"/393 kit from precisionintl which would be 387ci my black utes 302 block will need sleeves next rebuild already worn 4.040", for S-pak ute I'm going a 4.020" on a used std bore block, but as for 3.85/4" not sure.

there is a direct points replacement electronic kit for these, panko has it i think but i have it on My gemini also. a simple lock up of the mechanical advance would see the dissy "graphed" close enough for LPG My dyno tuner was impressed with the function of My electronic ign kit, as dwell improved with revs, something he couldn't understand how they did it so compact and cheap, but was disappointed i didn't upgrade the coil for better spark(have now) this is a good idea seeing it's missing the carby already anyway. find an LPG tank that fits somewhere well(donut tank recessed? or scuba falcon wagon tanks? ) or one big 100L one behind the seats as a "cargo barrier" rest is simple.

Ok my 2 Bob.... I loved the brutal simplicity of straight gas on my Cortina. It started first bump of the key, summer, winter, frost, rain, heatwave, typhoon, it just worked. It ran very clean, so much so that my mate thought there was something wrong with his Bosch analyser when we hooked it up, such were the HC and CO levels. The reason why exhaust valves burn out is because people run them on a petrol tune, effectively retarding the ignition for LPG so the fuel is still burning out the exhaust, which runs everything hot. Fix this and the engine should live a long, happy life. One upgrade that shouldn't be too hard to do is an electronic ignition. I'm sure somebody in the UK is more than willing to sell you one for a reasonable amount. Gas likes a nice powerful spark. An Impco model 100 should be more than enough to feed it. They're apparently good for around 90kW. The 2.0 pinto was rated at 74 from memory. A word about engineering: the Mk 1 Escort wasn't available with a 2.0 so it would need an engineer's cert to fit. Not so difficult in practical terms (just use Mk2 bits) but another expense to consider. Sent from my CPH1903 using Tapatalk

Yeah she'll be a fun build. There is some big fabrication needed in areas and I might try to throw in a little custom work as well for good measure. I'm pretty sure I'll be keeping the rear windows, might tint them a bit but I like being able to see all the wankers on the road around me before they drive through me. How's this for a giggle.. I drew this sketch a number of years ago. OK it's a mini not an esky, but I may have a type...

You were not kidding about it being a little rusty! Regarding engine swaps, there is a lot of good idea's here, but at the end of the day it is your project and you've gotta do what suits your needs and what will make you happy. Will you be keeping the rear side windows or filling them in? The condition of this, looks like so many vehicles I have looked at in the past and said to myself, "I wish I had the skills, know how and the confidence, to fix this" but never felt that I could do it. So I am genuinely excited to see the tutorial videos and how this progresses. Hopefully I can learn something (probably lots) and build up the confidence to tackle something like this myself one day. For now I'll try and keep up with the other things you've got going on in your shop. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

A 408 stroker has a 4" stroke on a +40 bore. The factory 400M has this same stroke but has over an inch of extra deck height (and rod length) to allow for it. Ford did this for a reason: so their engines would last. It's actually closer to 402 cubes but they thought rounding it down to 400 sounds better. So a 400 bored +40 makes it 408 as well So when you're building a 408 stroker, you're just making a short-deck, short rod 400M. You wouldn't go +40 on a clevo, +30 is the accepted limit. This makes 406 cubes. A 408 would be Windsor based, which can be punched out up to 60 thou on the early blocks. A 393 is just a smidge shorter at 3.85" stroke, +30 on the bore. A 383 is the same thing but on a 3.75" stroke, finally a 377 is 3.75" stroke on a standard bore, or 3.70 stroke on a +30 bore (not 100% on which one that is). Sent from my CPH1903 using Tapatalk

Agree with what's been stated already, I used to drive a TF Corty and the fuel bill was high, but the 2 litre went like stink.! Prob be easier? to rebuild the 1300.... Cost of finding/repairing a Pinto, versus 1300 with Gas tank install..?? 289 Windsor, shortened 9 inch.. Whoops, sorry.

I would think that you'd be well and truly into water by then. You can't press a sleeve into nothing. Sent from my CPH1903 using Tapatalk

This looks like the perfect upgrade.. [emoji16][emoji28][emoji28]

Thanks for that.

Thanks for the heads up! But I'm not surprised... Not even a little bit... Now i want to test my fuses. This can and should be applied to anything you purchase, especially from ebay and ESPECIALLY if it looks like its from china. It's easier to assume that what your buying has been manufactured to the poorest standard they can get away with, and the advertising is a great big lie. Then you gotta ask yourself "What are the consequences if what i purchase is the worst case scenario" And if the consequences are acceptable. You can continue with the purchase. I could go on but i wont. Suffice to say, always be skeptical. I've even caught Jaycar peddling the same low quality Chinese garbage. (Disclaimer: Not everything from china is garbage. But it's all definitely high risk) I like his Milliohm meter. The ones I use are cumbersome devices and connecting them to the target is usually frustrating due to having 4 contact points. His one has integrated each contact into 1/2 of the alligator clip.

Whatever I do it won't be manual or turbo. I'd like an overdrive auto but will deal with all that later. I might go straight LPG too. As BGDAV said, the body is as stuffed as any other 70s car but the back half isn't bad. It needs big surgery in the sills and windscreen pillars at very least. Roof gutter is bad on one side, better on other. Cargo floor is practically mint and the car seems to be complete an was looked after at some point as a work vehicle judging by the shadow of a sign on back window.

no dramas at all its a shit box, but its all fixable (from what we can see) it does have alot of good points, complete as a whole, besides tranny + carb needs everything touched but meh what 70s car dont, all sills gone, passenger door really fucked, passenger bottom roof is having issues, rear barn door, firewall has slight issues but could be alot worse wil be pretty cool when its done

That will be nice with a worked 2 litre pinto with twin webbers.

+1 on the booster removal. Taking off the nuts inside the dash is a bitch but it allows a bit of angling upward of the whole lot. Maybe you could try loosening them first, not entirely removing them. It might just give you enough clearance. Sent from my CPH1903 using Tapatalk

we may have a gas tank you can have .. would fit in the back? @deankdx would know

You got your work cut out for you there Merlin.

i removed one from an XY about 25yrs ago, i know i took it out as a unit, but it was an auto, so no other crap in the way at least. need to think to yourself.. how would Ford have done it.. can't be that hard ... oh well, it can, could be worse, could be a hose on a later model falcon under the manufold